Centrifuge tube and spoon therefor



Sept. 9, 1930. R. PICKER CENTRIFUGE TUBE AND SPOON THEREFOR Filed Feb;20, 1929 mag- L Ow M42 v m Patented Sept. 9, 1930 PATENT OFFICE RODOLPHEPIGKER, OF BUDAPEST, HUNGARY GENTRIF'UGE TUBE AND SPOON THEREFOR'Application filed February 20, 1929, Serial No. 341,315, and in GermanyFebruary 25, 1928.

The invention relates to an apparatus of technical and scientificprecision constituted by a special spoon collecting sedimentsprecipitated by centrifugation from liquids irrespective of their natureand by an improved centrifuge-tube corresponding to the spoon inventedand constructed especially for quantitative bacteriologicalinvestigation of urine, blood and othersecretions and liquids of the 1body tak-en therefrom and put in the sterile apparatus by means ofanaseptic operation and containing cells, bacteria and other particlessuspended in. I y

' The practicalp'urpose of the invention is to enable that the followingcan be effected in an exact, rapidand completely sterile manner andwithout having to employ'an assistant for the purpose,viz.:

1. The preparation for and the operation of'centrifugation itsel tubefor the purpose of bacteriological examination whatever kind,

8. As the chief purposeto transfer the '2. The removal of the sedimentfrom the I sediments to the surface of solid culture soils for bacteria,even ifthe quantity of such sediments is very small and irrespective oftheir nature e. g. whether of purulent or of mucous kind.

These three points at the same time also define the scientific object ofthe invention which is to enable the investigator to make out exactlythe total amount of sediment or bacteria contained in equal portions .ofthe original material, both in single and in setresearches. 7

'These objects are achieved by applying according the rules oflasepsisand bacteriology the apparatus, the two constituent parts of 4 which:

I. The improved centrifuge tube,

II. The spoon corresponding to it, represent the following shape,possess the following peculiarities and allow, each part for itself, toperform same and both together all operations particularized above andthus yield an apparatus of technical and scientific precision embodiedby the drawing, its application being described hereinafter.

I. The improved tube is made of glass and shows the length and shape ofthe average tubes used in centrifugating liquids, its upper half beingfashioned to the form of a cylinder, its lower half to the form of aconus. But it differs from the average type by the followingpeculiarities, allowing the following operations:

1. The brim of the improved tube has no border nor outward bend presentin the average type, but is even end of the cylinder and is 2. Fittedwith two short glass rods of adequate shape, starting at right anglefrom the brim and standing in diametrical opposition forming two ears orlugs, lacking in the average type. 1

3. The bottomof the conical part of the improved tube is wider than inthe average type and is I 4. Fashioned to the form of a regularhemisphere, lacking in the average type.

These constructive peculiarities of the improved tube allow:

a. The inside of the tube to be cleaned perfectly by mechanicalprocedures, often diflicult to be done exactly in the average type.

b. The tube to be grasped by means of its lugs, to be put in the casingof the centrifuge and removed therefrom, without touchingits brim withthe fingers, v I

0. To avoid all pollution of the tube and its contents from outward inperforming the operations a,?), and exclude erroneous results ofcultivation, very difficult to do so and impossible at all in using theaverage tubes andthe average technic and instruments of bacteriologicwork.

(Z. To apply a spoon correspondingto the tube and use it for alloperations to be done with, partly in connection with the tube andpartly with the spoon for itself, impossible to be done without it, thespoon representing the following shape, possessing the followingpeculiarities and allowing the following:

II. The spoon is stamped out of one piece of metal, it shows the form ofa ladle, its cup being semi-globular with a corresponding excavation andan even circular brim, its long handle being fiat, starting from thebrimof the cup standing nearly at right angle to its horizontal diameter,and ending in a book,

profile of its surface being absolutely equal to the diameter andprofile ofthe hemispheric bottom of the improved tube, in which itis tobe applied. M v

3. The handle is a flat, elastic stick, its

middle'section is easily curved" inwards, its

terminal section at halfway bends outward to form a narrow 'hem'icircle, then runs backwards close to the ascending leg andrends witha short arc curved outward, thus forming a long elastic hoolnacting asaclip. 7

These constructive peculiarities of the spoon allow':

a. A spoon of required capacity to be placed.

in a corresponding tube, I

I b. The spoon to make the cup close fit without a gapto' the bottom ofthe tube and to collect in its excavation all sedimentprecipitated-bycentrifugation from the liquid. I ,I I I 0. The spoon'tobe fixed'durin'g the centrifugation, without interfering with the actionof centrifugal force and during thev subsequent decantation of theoverstanding liquid, d. The spoonto be lifted with the sediment in itscup without a erk from the centrifuge tube, grasping it by its hook, I

' e. The spoon to be introduced inthe test tube, containing the solidculture soil without loss of timeand to be fixed by means of the hook toits brimin the position wanted for transferring; the wholecontentof thecup to thesurface ofthe culture soil wanted for the special purpose, andthat I f. The spoon to be removedfrom the test tube withoutthe contentof: the'tube or cup having had contact with. the external world,impossible to. be done in using" the average tube, technic andinstruments for centrifugation and bacteriological work following thecentrif'ugation. I 1 V The drawing illustrates by way of example anembodiment of the invention and its application V I I i I I Figs. 1 and2-are two-longitudinalsectional views-being takenQa-t right anglestozeach other-of the centrifuging tube fitted with a spoon, the top partofthe tube being shown 1n V ew,

Fig. 8 is a view from above oflthe same;

I The lugs or ears'-2 of tube are formed by glass rods unitedby meltingto the edge of the tube. The semiglobular shaped-cup 3 of theSPOOIlgyhiLS a cubic capacity of 0.1 O;2' centimetre cube Accord ing, toexperience this is. sufiicientto collect the total amount, of mucoussedimentusually I obtainable front 10 centimetre cube of clear urine. Inaccordance with this size of the spooncup 3-, the tip of the tube 1-,'isa semi-globe of larger diameter asusual in centrifuge-tubes, in ordertoallow cup 3- to fit without any gap to the bottom of the tube. Thehandle of the spoon fits the wall of" the tube at both ends, but in itsmiddle part, notably at the point where the cylindrical part passes:into the conical part, it bends inwards, in order to permit bllGSPOOIlto follow the action .of centrifugal force. With the same. end in view,when cup 8 fits to the bottom, the top end of handle '4 reachesbeyondthe edge of the tube, to the extent of a certain straight length,'before bending to form hook -5. 'The endfl of hook 5- is bent outwardsto a short are, to'facilitate its being hung-in." The hook holds thespoon secure, in the manner o'fa Y clip, against any motion alongthecircumference of tube 1,'but it presents no obstacle against thelongitudinal, motion of the handle under the action ofcentrifugalforce,and fixes the spoon containing the sediment, when after centrifugationthe overstanding liquid is decanted. v I

- After centrifugatiomthetube can be lifted easilyfrom the casing oftheapparatus, hold.-

ing it by its lugs or cars 2, and after the liquid has been decanted,the sediment, which has accumulated in the cavity of the spoon, can betransferred by aid or the, spoon, easily, quickly, in a sterile mannerandcoinpletely (i. e. without any residue whatever) for the purpose ofinvestigation, or further-treat ment, In case of transferenceto a solidculture'soil for bacteria- (agar slant). it is possible to fix the spoonby its hook -5, to the edge of. the test tube and thecontentsof thespoon can be transferred, without any resi- 7 due, and ,obsenvingtherules of bacteriological researchin the most exact manner, to

the slant by means of a platinumloop: and after the removal of the:spoon, it can be spread out on the surfaceof the culture soil in a thinlayer. s

If-a mark is provlded on the tube, corresponding to a cubic" volume of,say '5' or 10- centimetres cube, before centrifugation all kind ofcalibration is avoided,,- thus yielding considerable saving of time. a I

Ifwe use a tube on which further divisions, representing cubiccentimetres are also marked, and the lowest division of which isfurthermoredivi'ded into ten parts,v it becomes possible further'toeffect a reading of the absolute quantitiesof the sediment, and itbecomespossible, on the basis of the quantity of bacteria bred. from 0.1cm. of sediment, to determine with full exactity thejabsolute amount ofbacteria contained in the,

test sampleand inv the: material forming the ob ect. of theinvestigation. '3

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for collecting sediments therein by centrifugation,comprising a centrifuge tube and a spoon, said spoon including a cupadapted to conform to the bottom of said tube and ahandle, the handlehaving resilient means on its outer end engaging the edge of the tube toautomatically hold the cup by spring action down in fluid-tightconformity with the bottom of the tube, whereby the sediment isprevented from settling in the tube outside the cup.

2. An apparatus for collecting sediments therein by centrifugation,comprising a centrifuge tube and a spoon, said spoon including a cup anda handle, the handle being continued parallel to the side of said tubeat the top for a predetermined distance and then looped downwardly, theend of said handle being formed into a spring-clip engaging the outsideof said tube, whereby the component of the centrifugal force actingdownwardly on said spoon is accommodated by said looped extensionwithout placing strain on the upper 5 edge of said tube.

3. An apparatus for collecting sediments therein by centrifugation,comprising a centrifuge tube and a spoon, said spoon including a cup anda handle, said handle having a portion sprung against the lower portionof the tube and against the upper portion of the tube, the intermediateportion of said handle being bowed inwardly to such an extent as tocause the bow to absorb the centrifugal force and straighten out topermit the spoon to follow the action of the centrifugal force.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

RODOLPHE PICKER.

